Try
by Millefiore
Summary: [AUish] Every action has its consequence. If we truly reap what we sow, what does the future hold in store for our favorite CEO? A SetoTéa circumstance. Chp. 4 Up!
1. Default Chapter

_Author's Note:_ I've decided to re-post this whole story because a) I wasn't happy with the format from before, it looked really amatuerish, andb) I felt like it! XD

I hope no one minds this change (and I hope it turns out this time!) ;D

This is my first time at writing a Seto/Téa romance, so don't hesitate to leave a comment/ review and tell me how I'm doing! I don't bite...XD Please, no flames, they're not helpful, by any means!

**Disclaimer:** I'll only say this only once, _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ is the creation/ property of the wonderful Kazuki Takahashi! ;)

**Nota Bene:** This story is _AUish_ (Alternate Universe, sort of) and takes place following Noah's Virtual Reality World. Guess, that's all you need to know...for now.

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**Try**

_Chapter One_

* * *

It was supposed that time would heal all wounds, rewrite all wrongs, and bury past regrets. 

Perhaps only the latter of the three rung true, and that was what he was sincerely hoping for.

It had been six months since the events at Battle City, six months that he managed to keep the past behind him, where it belonged, and now he stood in one of the busiest cities in the world, New York, in his respective building complex, watching as the rain continued to pelt his office window.

The place, the view itself wasn't remarkably captivating, though his younger brother thought otherwise, and was fascinated by the sights around town: Broadway, Central Park, and Yankee Stadium…just to name a few.

He had wedged a great physical distance between himself and the place of his birth, Domino City; he was on a different continent altogether, further separated by the sprawling expanse of the Pacific.

And it had been done on purpose.

Not just because he had plans, which were already underway, he had designs for Kaiba Land and was anxious to get those up and running as soon as he could. He saw this as the next natural progression for Kaiba Corp, and the immense popularity of Duel Monsters in the United States coincided in time to implement his childhood ambitions.

This sudden business engagement may have been seen by others as an attempt to escape the bitter reality of his crushing defeat at the hands of his long-time rival, Yugi Motou, and that may have partly made some sense, but he did NOT run away from anything…

No matter. As long as he didn't let his thoughts stray to a particular incident aboard the Kaiba Kraft 3, as long as he kept himself busy, he reasoned, everything would be fine.

He had all that he needed, and for once, there were no 'Egyptian fairytales' attached to his newfound sense of calm.

Glancing over at the phone on his desk, he debated with himself for a few minutes on whether to make a phone call, but in the end, he refrained himself from taking such a desperate course of action.

He was fine. But inwardly, he felt as though he were trapped, enclosed by four imposing walls with no way out…

_Stupid girl._

How was it that _she_, of all people, was able to break through every mental barrier he put up, pervading effortlessly in his thoughts? It was not like him to become easily distracted…but he was, and it was all because of _her_.

He knew that he should be angry--_should_ being the key word--but in some absurd way, he found her even more intriguing…mysterious, even.

Why couldn't he just push her out of his mind?

In truth, it was an inevitable consequence he should have foreseen after such an abrupt expression of his inner turmoil…

* * *

_Six months earlier…_

It was clear by the stunned expression painted on her face that she had not expected his arrival, not in the slightest. He stood expectantly at the door; his manners reminding him not to saunter into her quarters without given consent.

Such a consideration for her needs seemed pointless and inane because technically, this was _his_ ship, which meant that this was _his_ room as it was an extension of _his_ property…and since it belonged to him, he could do whatever he well pleased, without giving a damn.

But he didn't.

Was it possible that he was getting soft? He quickly came to the conclusion that her geeky friends were at fault, _somehow_.

A couple of wordless minutes elapsed, each of them staring at the other, one with masked impatience, the other…with open shock and disbelief.

Why would Seto Kaiba the richest, most egotistical jerk in the world, be standing on the brink of her doorway?

And the way he was looking at her…his eyes were so level and direct, as if trying to imply that he was hiding nothing from her, but there was something else to his penetrating stare...

It wouldn't be wrong of her to say that he wasn't looking like himself at all.

Whatever that something was, it made her feel strange. If that was a good strange or a bad strange, she couldn't tell, but she knew that it wasn't…_normal_.

He hardly looked at her like that, if at all.

It was just her luck that the boys were up in Joey's room, helping him build full-proof strategies for the semi-finals that were just on the horizon.

He was unwavering in his belief that he'd get Mai back, especially now.

Yugi was there of course, along with his other self, no doubt passing along wise words to their golden-haired companion.

That left her completely alone with the forbidding CEO, as Serenity was in the infirmary, determined to keep a vigil on a person she considered to be a role model, an older sister, in the hopes that she would somehow wake from her mental prison in the Shadow Realm.

Oh, what she wouldn't _give_ to trade places with any one of them right now…!

"Well, what?" she asked finally, her voice holding a note of exasperation as she folded her arms over her chest.

"We need to talk."

She gave him an incredulous look, not understanding where he was coming from. They weren't close friends, and one would think the instances that they were forced to endure in each other's company would've forged some kind of bond, but no! Seto Kaiba hated anything to do with friendship, and she was sure that he'd prefer a horrible death than to actually admit that he was a part of _their_ group.

From her perspective, it just didn't make any sort of sense. There was nothing to say.

"It's about Mokuba," he interrupted, his voice softening just a little at the mention of his brother's name.

It was strange really, to hear such a dramatic (well, to her it was dramatic) change in the normally stern, even pitch of his deep voice. There were times she hardly believed the two were blood-related, being the opposite of each other as brothers could possibly get, but the little boy had endeared himself to her, ever since they first met back at Duelist Kingdom.

Kaiba _must_ have something important on his mind. She bid him inside, switching on the light.

He refused her polite offer to sit down, and not wanting to be dwarfed completely by his imposing height in a sitting position, she too decided it best to just stand.

"Is he okay?" Deep blue eyes locked momentarily with her concerned gaze, the manner in which she demonstrated her regard for his younger sibling disconcerted him…it was an indescribable feeling.

He was first and foremost Mokuba's sole protector, as his guardian and as his older brother, he was the one entitled to making sure that he was out of harm's way, that's how it had always been… that's how it was supposed to be, though in recent years, it was much more of an undertaking to keep that silent promise…

Memories of what had happened during Duelist Kingdom drifted to the forefront of his mind, and more recently, the events right before the Battle City finals with that freak Marik, followed by the whole Noah Virtual Reality experience…

He abhorred how people used his little brother to get to him. It was a sign of _cowardice_.

"Yes, it's just…"

This was a hell of a lot more difficult than he had imagined because he never made it a habit to apologize, let alone _thank _someone. And this 'someone' happened to be the most unlikeliest person he'd ever consider owing his gratitude: _Téa_.

_Yugi's personal cheerleader._

But then again, better her than the flea-infested dog...

He cleared his throat.

"It has occurred to me that I haven't thanked you properly for helping my brother escape from the Rare Hunters. Thank you."

This was beyond weird for the brunette, had she heard right? Was Kaiba actually giving her an apology?

He sounded and looked sincere, it was clear that he meant it, and a part of her suspected that this must've been a struggle of wills for his over-inflated ego and his, dare she think it, heart…?

Kaiba wasn't physically heartless, or else he obviously wouldn't be talking to her at all, but he sure acted like he was most of the time, and everyone thought at one time or another that he was more machine than human, but...for just a fraction of a second, she saw a clear glimpse of the _real_ Kaiba…the self-sacrificing parental figure who'd go to any lengths, even working himself over to impossible limits to shield a brother from any form of physical or emotional harm--Mokuba was _his _constant motivation for whatever he did or chose to do.

It was sweet, really. But that didn't change the fact that he was still arrogant and conceited—he'd remain the cold and glacial Kaiba that everyone, including herself, knew him to be.

"I did what I had to," she looked down at the space between them, it wasn't very far, but she felt that they were infinite miles apart, too far away to ever understand each other. It was almost regrettable...

She didn't know why she felt that way in the first place.

It was only _Kaiba_ after all…he distanced himself as far as possible from almost every soul he encountered.

Carefully meeting his gaze once again, she continued on. "I think that anybody in my situation would've done the same thing. Even though you weren't there through our ordeal, I felt totally responsible for Mokuba, I didn't want to see him hurt…and it lifted a weight off my shoulders to know that he'd be okay, to know that Marik wouldn't have the upper hand…"

For the first time since he came in the room, he redirected his sharp gaze away from her and to the window instead.

Téa was silently thankful for the distraction.

Seto had been prepared for that kind of response all along, there was nothing that prompted him to expect otherwise…so why was he going out of his mind trying to figure out a deeper meaning, if one simple answer should suffice?

He didn't understand himself, or his reasoning…

What was he hoping for? He accomplished what he set out to do…

Noticing her wary gaze settle upon him, he straightened his slackened posture a little, gave her his customary nod of acknowledgement before heading in the direction of the door.

Unfortunately for him, she was quicker, managing to impair his way through the narrow passage that lead to the means of his escape; her arms were fixed on either side of the wall, a human barrier he could easily push away, if he wanted.

He dismissed the impulsive need to chuckle—because he wasn't _that_ amused.

"Gardner, I would advise you step away before I do something I regret later on …"

She tossed him a disbelieving look, her small frame standing firm in its purpose.

"You wouldn't dare touch me, even though you may possibly be the biggest jerk alive, you're still a gentleman…"

He laughed.

And it was anything but friendly.

"Your thoughts are truly misguided…and let me tell you, being sorely misinformed can lead to trouble."

"I'm not letting you slip away until you answer me why you came here—we both know that Mokuba was just a pretence for you to…umm…to--" she faltered in her words, not knowing what kind of hidden motive she was alluding to, but she knew that there was a hidden motive all the same.

Unless she got a definitive answer straight from his lips, she decided to remain firm in her resolve.

Kaiba looked unimpressed. "You see? You don't even realize what you're trying to insinuate because you don't have anything concrete to base it upon. I have enough on my plate as it is without having to listen to your frivolous fantasies…now, let me pass, or I shall have to _make_ a way through."

Maybe she was getting a _little_ over her head…

Maybe she had underestimated his surprising display of patience…and maybe, she was _slightly_ trembling.

But it was not out of fear. Certainly not.

She still held her ground even as he advanced upon her, an unreadable spark glinting in his midnight blue eyes.

That look kept her frozen to the spot.

The sensation of his hands planting themselves securely on her shoulders snapped her out of her dream-like state and she instinctively began to push back…until he reciprocated the gesture with a little more force, shoving her back flush against the adjacent wall, pinning her arms above her head single-handedly, the self-same smug, victorious smirk she had seen many times before introducing itself to her eyes.

She inwardly cursed him _and_ his drop dead gorgeous good looks.

His beautiful face inched closer to hers as he bent down a little to accommodate her smaller stature.

"It seems like I've won our little contest, with surprisingly little effort on your part…I suggest that you don't cross my path again, an annoying habit which you happen to be practicing with increasing frequency—at least, for your benefit, you should stay away."

It didn't matter how much she wriggled or writhed; his steely grip permitted little to no movement of her hands, leaving her only able to contemplate over her fate for being as foolish as she was to cross an invisible line so impetuously.

But if she aimed right and true, he'd be the one regretting his current position.

Somehow catching the quick glance she ventured down below, he pressed himself against her, rendering her completely immobile for the most part--there was no way he would let her inflict any kind of bodily harm on his person.

Especially, _there_…

"I just don't understand you, Gardner. You keep on testing my patience time and time again…" his breathing became slow and shallow, and she realized that hers had as well…funny reaction for a guy she had no feelings for whatsoever…

_What on earth was happening here?_

Though her mind was processing warning signs and urging her to do something about her compromising situation, she couldn't find the will to do anything but stare at his lips which were hovering perilously close to her own.

She just watched them move, completely fascinated by their hypnotic movements as he uttered each and every fell syllable.

"…you meddle too much for your own good, and that almost got you killed on several occasions…you're reckless, defiant, and a thorn in my side." He blew an errant lock of brown hair away from his eyes, enabling her to peer deeply into indefinable depths of azure. "But I must admit _Téa_, you've worn away your welcome and your safety..."

Before she could react, his lips crushed down on hers.

* * *

This re-uploaded story is **dedicated **to all the lovely reviewers who've taken the time to leave me kind words of inspiration and encouragement (in order of who reviewed first): 

_reader, Demidevi, Avataria, Gryphaena, AmberEyezBright, selenity, Ms.Flowers, Gekkou Hana, WishList, hakubaikou-chan, Starian Princess, Rain5101, QueenofHearts4u_ !

You've honoured me very much :sniffle: thank you ;D

Review, si vous plait? . ; Thanks for reading!

_Ciao!_


	2. Chapter Two

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* * *

**

**Try**

_Chapter Two_

Lasting Impressions

* * *

_Owwwwww!_

The sudden stab of realization, coupled with the stinging pain that she was left with, was like a frantic, final gasp of oxygen to an ecstatically ignorant, oxygen-deprived mind, and it was then that she grew infinitely aware of the acrid taste lingering inside her mouth and of the warm substance sliding silkily over a tender and newly inflicted wound.

It was _blood_. Her blood.

She quickly drew a quivering hand un-stilled by disbelief towards her lips (the bottom half rightfully swollen and tinged an angry shade of red) and smeared a thin scarlet line across the backside of her hand defiantly.

Téa had certain qualms when it came to blood—she didn't like seeing it, nor did she like tasting it—and people closest to her could attest to that fact, but _he_, on the other hand, was very much a stranger to have known her likes and dislikes, in spite of the intimate scene that had taken place behind closed doors…

An earlier thought she'd chased away returned all too conveniently at that moment, and she found herself in total agreement, hands down.

_He must be a sadomasochist._

That was, really, the _only_ explanation good enough for all this!

Blue eyes that were once glazed over with a mixture of unidentifiable emotions now sparkled with a fervid intensity that not many people could elicit very easily, and the only living, breathing exception to that rule happened to be a safe ten-thousand-some-odd-miles away!

Lamentable as it was that he wasn't here in person to give him a piece of her mind (and then some!), the next possible recourse left to her was to redirect her burning stare at the offending letter she held in her other hand, hoping that it would spontaneously combust then and there.

No such luck of that happening anytime soon, though.

Time, she knew, was a variable she couldn't possibly do anything about but accept, and she accepted the gradualness of its deliberately unhurried movements as it winded down to the next hour and the next, just as it had done for the past six uneventful months, but that did little to explain why it had to be **her**.

It also did little to ease the growing resentment she felt towards the addressee of what at first glance, appeared to be an innocent letter.

_Damn you, Kaiba…_

She sighed, understandably frustrated as she sank down to her knees, feeling as though a cumbersome weight had been placed once more atop her shoulders. Looking at the polished glass surface of her mother's treasured coffee table just in front of her, she saw a familiar face, however faint in its reflection, staring back with the same measure of distressed contemplation.

Even the walls of her own home no longer seemed to provide a fitting sanctuary from the impressive, ever-permeating presence of anything to do with Seto Kaiba, and school, school was a _joke!_

Spewing gossip on a daily basis was something customary for most students at Domino High, but when it came to the insanely wealthy teenager's glaringly obvious lack of attendance--conspiracy theories shot to ridiculous proportions, almost roughly comparable to the extent of said teenager's ego…

There was this one popular theory stuck on everyone's lips nowadays (she was deadly certain Joey had a hand in its conception)—one purporting that Kaiba had gone "under the knife"; a natural and yet extreme measure to change his appearance when considering his _very_ public defeat at Battle City, and his prolonged absence seemed to only support what was assumed as the "recuperation" process.

She doubted that highly though, as did Yugi, but just picturing him with a botched nose job was enough of an incentive to provoke an infectious grin to form fleetingly over her aching lips.

There was something else vaguely amusing in the midst of everything she had been forced to endure so far, something morosely dark in its humour--since their parting, she still couldn't quite manage to recover herself; much less collect her unhinged thoughts and emotions. She was silently all over the place, and no one had a clue.

Wasn't that something to laugh about?

Maybe _he_ was the only one laughing at her plight from behind a veiled partition, kind of like one of those classic masterminds who sadistically pulled at the strings of the helpless protagonists involved. Just then, her eyes skirted around the perimeter of the living room cagily, half-expecting her random thought to take shape, but of course, it didn't; solitude prevailed throughout.

_Wonderful! She had somehow contracted his deep sense of paranoia!_

Perhaps _the_ worst thing about this strange affair was that her mind absolutely _refused_ to let her forget about what occurred in that restricted, poorly lit entranceway—her first ever kiss, and it was a heated, passionate kiss at that.

It may have started out clumsily--hands fumbling all over the place, lips pushing awkwardly against hers in a way that was still aggressive and demanding--but she didn't push away, once his hand let go of hers, she didn't do a damn thing except reciprocate with the same degree of earnestness and need…

At the very least, it wasn't in his nature to _completely_ disappoint; she knew that now.

Ugh. This _so_ wasn't fair! Truly, it wasn't.

And she'd be an even bigger fool to let him have his way again.

A part of her wanted to toss away the letter, to rip it into miserable, itty-bitty shreds, but there was that nagging other half, the inquisitive side of her that wanted to see what it said…maybe it was an apology, an apology for running out like that, or an explanation…

But that was a stretch.

And yet, it was also not such a far-off possibility considering…

Taking a deep breath, she unfolded the letter for the second time that evening and began to read.

_Téa,_

_Meet me at the Domino Pier at 8:30 tonight, without your tag-along… friends._

_This just concerns the both of us and no one else. _

_I trust that you've kept certain events 'secret' these past few months, and though you_

_might not believe it, I value your discretion._

_If you want some clarification, you know where to find me._

_S.K._

_P.S. Try not to draw unwarranted attention upon yourself if you don't mean to get caught._

No, not an apology.

And this definitely wasn't the night to take part in a little tryst.

Her friends would be arriving in less than half an hour's time because she promised to have them over for dinner (it was lasagne night at her house), and she was not one to go back on a promise.

Unless, of course, there was a really, really good reason to.

A dilemma soon presented itself: she _did_ want to see her friends, have them over like always—but, tonight, tonight was different because _he_ was back, and it wasn't so often that she saw him at all—what should she do?

What was she thinking! There shouldn't even be an alternate route to go about this!

It's not like she honestly cared what he did with his life anyway, he seemed to navigate his life just fine before knowing her, and he could do without now.

That would be most appropriate.

She would simply continue on with her business pretending that the crummy letter never existed and that nothing was amiss, and soon, everything would return to normal…

But what was 'normal', really?

Was it sitting anxiously by the phone most days, knowingly awaiting a call that would never come?

Was it dreaming a dream that seemed to be more of a hollow deception while she was out with her friends?

As she thought about it, it wasn't fair for her friends to have someone who dimly paid attention at appropriate intervals, and it wasn't fair for her either.

She _did_ try to forget, put all of her effort into pushing aside impossible thoughts with an even more impossible, unattainable person, but in the end, he always ended up taking residence inside her head and (this thought was the most frightening to consider out of all of them) her _heart_.

She could safely admit to herself that she wasn't in love, because that wasn't what her situation was, not even _remotely_ close! His abrasive-like-bleach personality was a far cry from what she would consider romantically endearing.

But with the way things stood right now, did she honestly have anything to lose?

He had already seen her vulnerable and defenceless, in fact, he was the very person who had put her in that humbling position.

So that wasn't anything new.

She wasn't the type known to back down either; she'd lay all her feelings, all the confusing emotions that had accumulated day by day since their kiss, down on the proverbial table, and if he hated her for it…then, she'd just have to learn how to deal with that.

All she needed was one answer. Even if it was accompanied by a cold slap of reality.

Who better to give her that remedy than Kaiba himself?

Before she knew it, she was already at the door, her bare feet ready to pound against the cold pavement, that is, until her senses came rushing back to her, reminding her to slip into something more suitable to the weather outside—like her winter coat and boots—it was the middle of December, and at night no less.

Only he could make her behave so stupidly…and by definition, that wasn't so much of a good thing.

Ready with an excuse to shout up to her mother for her reasons for leaving, she stopped short, remembering that she was away on business in Indonesia.

For the next two weeks, she'd have the house to herself.

Silently berating herself for her absentmindedness, she quickly scrambled towards the phone, snatching the notepad that was idle right beside it, jotting down her excuse, and then into the kitchen to check if the oven was off (which it was, much to her great relief) while simultaneously searching for a piece of tape.

Finding what she was looking for, she stuck her message on the frosted windowpane by her door, hoping that her friends would see it, should they arrive beforehand and notice the house empty and devoid of life.

She took one quick glance at the clock on the wall before locking the door behind her; only ten minutes to 8:30, she prayed she would make it in time!

White clouds of vapour drifted from her lips and into the cold night as she hastily made her way in the direction of the harbour...

* * *

It was all up to chance now, he'd done what he could to help the situation.

Needless to say, it was a little difficult to sound so hardened, and yet a touch sentimental in the letter he had written.

It had to be believable after all, for everything to align perfectly.

Being devious was something imparted to him by age, and boy was he ever!

Phase one of what he referred to as 'Plan B' was already taking shape before his eyes, and he watched secretly from the safety of his bedroom window as his elder brother finally entered the sleek black limo.

He, of course, had sent a letter to Seto, addressed from Téa, using the frilliest, girlish kind of stationary he had seen while passing a drugstore in downtown Domino earlier in the day, and he had purchased a cheap bottle of perfume there as well, spraying the letter ever so delicately with flowery notes of rose essence, vanilla orchid, and daffodil, among other ingredients to be had in the scent.

At least, that's what it said on the bottle.

It also said that it was "sensual and sophisticated, to charm on every occasion".

And well, this was _the_ occasion…

It was only $68.00, and though he couldn't really call it a splurge, he didn't mind the price if in the end his brother would _finally_ snag a girlfriend.

He was old enough to understand that his brother needed someone else he could associate himself with, preferably someone the same age, and preferably someone of the opposite sex. And he didn't consider himself the appropriate substitute…Seto had needs--no, not _those_ kind of needs--but they needed to be met by a candidate who could actually measure up.

And Téa fit into that equation rather nicely. Personal bias was heavily consulted for that decision; aside from the incriminating evidence his brother absently gift-wrapped for him…

He was mindful to leave no room for error; Seto wouldn't question how Téa knew he was back, it wasn't exactly headline news, but it still warranted a decent-sized place on the front page of the city's two major periodicals, _The Domino Tribune_ and _The Daily Observer_, added to that, he knew about their dirty little secret, with no effort on his part, all he had to do was overhear a one-sided conversation his brother most probably had no intention of him knowing about…

It was a little too late now to retrace his steps. Not that he would, if given the chance.

With any luck, things wouldn't end on a sour note tonight, or else he'd be in for it the next day!

His big brother wasn't the best person to be around whenever he was in a bad frame of mind.

A mischievous smile lit his face as he watched the limo vanish from the estate and into the wintry wonderland beyond. With some fancy footwork, he moonwalked all the way to bed and jumped excitedly on top of the soft linen covers on what used to be a neatly made bed, something that Seto would have an anxiety attack about if he knew, but that didn't seem to matter so much, as _he_ wasn't here...

Resolving to turn off the light of his Blue-Eyes White Dragon lamp before the maids grew suspicious of the ruckus happening upstairs, he mentally crossed his fingers that everything would work out for the best.

* * *

An _invitation_. That's what it was. Not a 'date'.

There were certain key differences between the two.

The latter implied obligations, often romantic in nature, imposed upon two parties, whereas the former entailed no such hidden restraints and one's presence was (usually) politely encouraged.

This meeting of theirs was merely an offer to straighten out a few things.

And his mind was in accordance with that very idea; things could not remain as they were.

Eyes as dark as the forward pitch of water that just rolled lazily onto shore, were blank of any emotion as he took in the rest of his cheerless surroundings; she was late.

A good fifteen minutes late and counting.

* * *

_Author's Note:_ That's all for Ch. 2! I hope the end wasn't too confusing, or the beginning for that matter...hehehe. I was trying to tie it in with what I left off with last chapter...I think it had flow ;D Hopefully I articulated Téa's uncertain feelings concerning our fave trench coat sporting businessman, I struggled with how to make it seem genuine w/out coming off as superficial...

I'm a believer that love needs time to grow and that it doesn't happen all of a sudden with a kiss...no matter how magical it is.

Anyways... I'm working on Ch.3 at the moment, and that's where things start to get pretty interesting...just have to beware of that dreaded "Writer's Block"!> ; I hate having that...

I guess I could leave you with a hint...let's just say the tide of Seto's emotions are turned as _Fate_ decides to play a card of its own!

I'll try to get this one up as soon as I can, but it won't take 4 months this time...:sweatdrops:

Review? Virtual cookies for you if you do! XD

_Ciao!_

Millefiore


	3. Chapter Three

* * *

**Try**

_Chapter Three_

Love...At Pier Seven?

* * *

Perhaps it came with the territory as a top-ranked duelist, either that, or else he had an uncanny sixth sense about things that were just imminent.

Or was it simply the distracting sound of the hastily approaching footfalls behind him that gave it away?

Before any words could be exchanged, he turned to face his intended target with a well-versed air of detached composure, a like reaction were he meeting with any one of his business associates instead. Showing emotion would really accomplish nothing but mixed signals, and tonight, he wanted to be read loud and clear—none of this ambiguous, walking-around-in-circles crap.

An ending _would_ be assigned to their unfinished game…

He had mentally played with the idea of being left hanging, or 'stood up' (if this were an actual, _true_ date, which it wasn't…) as he waited, but that possibility was a safe, one-in-a-something chance of happening, based upon the superficial details of what he could gather from her personality…

That bubbly façade of hers was just that—a front—fickleness was most probably a foreign concept to her, no matter how much she appeared to reflect that label at first glance.

He'd seen firsthand how loyal, how dependable she could be -- following blindly after Yugi and the rest of their like-minded, friendship-touting ilk of simpletons throughout the course of Duelist Kingdom and so on, was proof enough it could almost be _tangible_.

With that in mind, keeping one small, trivial promise, even to him, should be a relatively painless effort on her behalf.

_Well almost_, he decided, silently taking in the rest of her appearance, watching intently as she fought to pace her erratic breathing, chest heaving all the while under the added weight of her powder blue, button-down twill coat, her already petite frame cut in half as she stood hunched over, pale fingers splayed on her bare knees for a source of support, hair falling in a messy, tangled array of snowflake-encrusted tendrils in front of her eyes.

_A magical sight to see; winter incarnate._

She had obviously been running to get there, and she was, he raised his forearm slightly to register the time on his wristwatch, _twenty-three minutes_ behind their appointed time.

Despite the graceless nature of her entrance, the truth remained that she was late, any later and she would've met with the ghost of her good intentions.

As far as he was concerned, he was being unnecessarily gracious and forgiving with her; he still had a company to run, after all.

"About time you showed up, Gardner."

At his candid remark, she raised her snowflake-carpeted head ever so slowly to look up at him, and for the first time in days upon innumerable days, their eyes met, a long-awaited meeting of two equally brilliant blues and, for reasons unknown to him, he felt reassured to know that the same tension, the same fire still lent to the rude sparkle dancing in her eyes.

That look, he knew, was meant solely for him. And nobody else.

"Unlike _you_," she breathed, placing a finger deliberately on her lips to flick a disobedient strand of hair sticking awkwardly to the side of her mouth, angry blush creeping on the apples of her cheeks as well as the bridge of her nose as she spoke, "I don't have the _luxury_ of having a year round, twenty-four hour, weekly limousine service at my disposal, so… tough cookie, mister!"

Her lips parted slightly to make room for a quasi-sinister smile as she stood to her full, _daunting_ height of five feet and six inches, before setting into a straight line, a line that, he thought, was much too demure if not severe for the delicateness of her face. This small movement had caught the light of the nearest light source around--a lamppost just a few feet away from where they stood, and that was when he was informally introduced to the curious sight of…_lip-gloss_.

A shimmery substance painted artfully, enticingly on each lip, upper and lower, not so much as encroaching the natural limitations of her lip line, looking like a kind of decorative icing.

He liked how it was noticeable without begging for attention -- the epitome of subtle, embodied in a lip-gloss.

_How quaint_.

Even he had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that she looked quite attractive, the way she was, the way she looked at him, her eyes lined provocatively in black…

Before his thoughts could drag him completely under in a tempting, uncontrollable spiral of lust, his mind expertly reverted back to the matter at hand.

He hated the way in which she held him unknowingly paralysed with fascination.

"What do you say if we find somewhere more…convenient to discuss?"

She crossed her elbows, tossing her hair casually from side to side to be rid of the snow in her hair, a seemingly innocent action in and of itself, but coming from her, it encouraged him to suspect that she _knew_ perfectly well the kind of effect she had impressed upon him the moment she turned that dangerous sly smile in his direction.

There was no question in his mind that she was going to try and match him, move for calculatingly cold move.

However, if she thought he could be bested so easily, she didn't know Seto Kaiba at all.

He then relinquished the black umbrella he held in his hands and carefullyoffered it to her, a very gentlemanly gesture to anyone who would possibly happen by such a tender scene, but secretly, he was doing it more for his sake than hers. Once again, their eyes made playful contact, both were poised and ready not to back down, until the dubious light in her eyes finally gave way to a softer light, speaking of what could be interpreted as silent but sincere gratitude.

"Would... hot cocoa be involved?" her fingers wrapping around the unusual straight handle.

There was a small pause between them as he feigned to look really thoughtful about his choices.

"Possibly." He shrugged. "If it'll help to pass the time that much more quickly with you around, that is."

"You are _the_ most--,"

"Now's not the time to fish me compliments, Gardner," he interrupted, seizing her gently by the arm, inadvertently pulling her close to the invisibly defined space surrounding him that just screamed of something vulnernable and intimate, leading her in a direction opposite from the docks, "we have to clarify more _pressing _matters first."

The brunette was hard put to swallow her differences (along with some caustic insults) concerning the object of her undecided, or perhaps it'd be better to say, _misguided_ affections, especially when he was being so damn …condescending!

Téa took one final glance behind her, noting that their secret meeting spot indeed had a name: _Pier # 7._

She didn't quite consider herself to be an overly sentimental person, but there was an uplifting, warm sensation that had passed over her to know such asmall, trivialfact…and wherever they were headed to now, she felt she could face with a little less anxiety.

It felt good to be on his arm, just this once.

The faint, clean smell of his cologne, being in such a close proximity of each other as they were, wasn't so bad either.

* * *

_Author's Note:_ Please forgive the abruptness, and the tardiness of this installment. It's been quite the challenge to work on this story, because things are so unexpected and are never easy as they appear to be...

In any case, I hope everyone enjoyed the slight fluffiness in this chapter (I hope it wasn't too corny uu;), and I'm sorry I haven't really gotten to the 'date' aspect of the story yet, but it will happen! ;D

Thank you for reading.

Don't forget to leave areview! It'd be most appreciated.

_Millefiore_


	4. Chapter Four: Pt 1

_

* * *

_

**Try**

_Chapter Four_

Collide

Pt.1

* * *

She knew better than to do this.

And _they_ knew better than to do what they were doing presently…

Unlike his two best friends, namely Joey and Tristan, he didn't wholly believe Téa would put a hold on their plans just because she 'ran out of gingerbread cookies'; they could've baked a new batch, he was sure.

That wouldn't have been a problem, leastways, where he was concerned.

Baking happened to be one of his secret specialties, but it wasn't so much of a secret talent to his tiny circle of close friends— hell, if they wanted a _soufflé_, he could whip up the perfect one without a snitch!

So, why would she go through all the trouble… especially if she was more than well aware of it?

What was worse was that she was out alone; any number of bad things could happen to a girl venturing out in a city like Domino. _Especially at night_.

The last sentence seemed to resound hauntingly in his mind, and at that moment he felt like an invisible, cold hand had clamped down on his left shoulder, its unfriendly, cumbersome weight a reminder of what it was he was unwilling to relive again; the times where she felt assailed by fear and doubt, the times he found himself pathetically unable to be her last line of defence, her support.

It was by his hand…this fate…

That's not to say Téa couldn't handle herself, she had a pretty mean right-hook (according to Joey), but if she was outmatched or outnumbered…

He slowly inched away from the window with a heavy feeling of resignation, having re-read her message more times than necessary in a lame attempt to find a hidden secret behind the uncharacteristically large, lopsided letters, and coming up with next to nothing.

She was definitely in a hurry; that much he knew.

Light suddenly leaked out on to the stony steps of her front porch from within, the silhouette of a lankier than normal figure spilling out with it.

Duke stood silently against the doorframe, casually pocketing his hands inside his tight, black trousers in order to keep his hands from freezing feeling a little less than celebratory tonight, even now that finals were over and done with. It was always the wait that killed—and in their situation, that expression could be applied to a variety of different contexts.

Luckily for them, Joey was pretty handy with a hairpin (borrowed from the ever gracious Serenity), and managed to unlock the door with a few measured and synchronized movements, juggling the doorknob with his hands once every few seconds in order to coax it open. To all of their amazement (save Yugi, who was deep in thought at the time) the door gave a low groan of protest before finally swinging inwards to reveal a spick and span corridor, sans hostess.

Which is what the note had _amazingly_ foretold.

He could tell this truth wasn't helping any for the spiky-haired boy's wearing morale and mounting anxiety; and the latter would probably continue to pile up, just like the continually falling snow...

As for the pretty redhead of his dreams, she sat on the bottom step resting her chin on the palm of her hand, seemingly pensive about this also.

_What a night! Not at all suited to romantic pursuits..._

He sighed heavily, successfully gaining the pair's undivided attention.

"Yugi… I tried Téa's cell again, but I kept getting her voicemail--,"

"And here's why," Joey's voice wafted down the lonely hallway, and in a few quick strides he was already beside Duke, a tiny object stowed carefully in his wool mittens, like some kind of precious memento.

"Tristan found this on the kitchen table."

Upon seeing the disconsolate look burdening his best friend's winsome features at having recognized the not-so-mysterious item he held in his hands, along with the rude, breath-sucking jab in the ribs he received (courtesy of his pony-tailed cohort as a warning), Joey frantically tried his best to remain optimistic.

"Téa's a… a smart chick, I mean, _girl_…" he amended quickly, spotting the tiny flame dancing in his sister's hazel eyes, "and if anything were to happen, she'd find a way to let us know. Don't ya worry about it Yug'."

"Joey has a point, for once." Duke decided to safely chime in, beaming at Yugi reassuringly.

* * *

_A pity there's no 'rewind' button for real life when you need one... _

Even so, it was _still_ very much her fault.

He sat encased in an embittered silence, noting how passers-by had cast them both a criticizing look before turning away-- a slightly more preferable reaction than the parents who dramatically shielded the eyes of their small children at what they assumed to be an obscene public display; all the while shooting dark glances in their direction as they continued along the narrow street.

As if _that_ would make him repent or feel a modicum of guiltiness for what happened…

The party responsible for this occurrence sat across from him now, sitting on her ankles, her eyes filled with a silent laughter despite the contrite look she had managed to hold together on her face at the last possible second.

He quickly did his best to straighten his appearance, brushing the snow-covered leaves of last fall out of his damp hair and shoulders. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that she was doing the same.

_Dumb girl._

"You're as much to blame as I am," she began, as if she had peered into his mind and read his thoughts aloud, untying the scarf wrapped about her neck and pocketing it in her jacket, simultaneously taking to her feet, albeit a bit wobbly. "For one thing, you were walking way too fast, and if you cared to notice, you were practically dragging me with you—,"

"And for one thing--it's your own fault if you can't keep up." He added shortly, standing erect, posture straight and perfect. "Thanks to you, I ended up squishing my… umbrella in the fall."

"You'll live, I'm sure."

The accusing look in his eyes was still there, along with some hard to place emotion as he stared at her squarely in the eyes, his mouth its usual solemn line.

She in turn gave him a toothy grin.

He would never admit that her smile might actually hold the key to his undoing…

The cold winter wind picked up and brushed suddenly across his face, almost burning his cheeks as it went—he desperately hoped he wasn't blushing like some kind of idiot, though, if she tried to point that out, he'd be ready with an excuse.

That kind of satisfaction wasn't hers for the taking.

He, Seto Kaiba, was no laughing matter.

Well, unlike his duelling reputation, as far as he was concerned…

They were both stealing time, time she was sure neither of them had but tried to make room for tonight, just so they could bicker back and forth.

_Talk about progress…_

Vaguely admiring the elegant lines of his profile, she began to wonder if the same scenario was tumbling over and over again in his mind, much the same way she had clumsily staggered into him, until they toppled together—her on top, him on the bottom—another victim of an unseen patch of black ice.

Thankfully, a snowdrift, laden with dead leaves, along with his soft warm body, helped to cushion the fall.

It was enough to get her flustered, but he—the only thing that preoccupied him now was his _stupid _umbrella, which had been carried by the unfriendly wind clear across to the other side of a busy avenue, miraculously unscathed, except for its one flattened side…

"Are you just gonna stand there all night with that stupid look on your face?"

Not only was he handsome and rich, he was spoiled and especially rude.

"If that's the case, then, this" he gesticulated in a wild circle about him, pointing at her in the process, "this has been a _successful_ waste of my precious time!"

She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "_Excuse me?_ If I recall, meeting you at the pier was all your brilliant idea and I have the letter to prove it…"

It was the conviction in her eyes, not so much her words that incited a different kind of quiet chaos to evolve inside of him.

This chaos brought with it the unnamed suspicions and doubts he had filed away the instant he had come across her secret letter, which had, as he remembered it, been placed conveniently amongst his self-assigned pile of important paperwork…

This odd predicament they found themselves mired in wasn't just something random…and he was certain all of the damning evidence was folded neatly, its delicately layered, origami-like folds hiding what would surely promise to be another disgrace— inside that pocket of hers.

He would be a fool to risk another humiliation at her hands again.

"Wh-What are you doing?"

They were close now, _much_ too close for comfort. The paces he took towards her happened so fast he might as well have glided in the air; he didn't even feel the radiating warmth of her hand as he took it tremblingly in his own—at least, not until he heard the shuddering sound of her voice.

To his surprise, he didn't let go right away, which was something they both were probably expecting.

"Coffee. Now."

Those final two words were the only words that he could manage to force out of his mouth upon spotting his salvation from under the messy fringe of his chocolate brown bangs. It was the perfect escape… for now.

He returned his hand by his side, alone, and began to march in the direction of the "Lucky Seven" coffee and teahouse, it's flickering, light pale blue neon sign hard to miss.

The one thing that happened to escape his acute sense of perception was the forlorn look that had shadowed her features at his vanishing touch. Snow crunched underfoot as she tried to keep her step in stride with his; gingerly pressing her feet from time to time into the trailing imprints he left behind.

_Why was he acting so…strange?_

Even before he had grasped her hand, there was a panicked light, or something very similar to that when she had mentioned the letter he had written her.

Whatever accounted for his behaviour, all she wanted was some answers…a semblance of clarity.

* * *

_Author's Note:_ A thousand apologies to keep all of you waiting, perhaps some of you probably thought I died or gave up on this story...which, thankfully, I have not. As far as I know, anyways...XD

As many of you have probably gathered, Chapter 4 will continue in the next installment, I promised a long chapter, and by golly you'll get one! nn; I hope no one is terribly disappointed with the lack of date-aspect in the story, but it'll certainly show up(or at least a variation of it as Seto isn't too fond of the term, LOL) will be in the following installment. ;D

I liked this chapter as it (finally) introduces Yugi and co. and their relation to what's happening to Téa right now. It's a lovely set up, really, for some love triangles...

That's all I'll leave you with for now, and I hope you enjoyed Pt.1 so far.

Thanks for reading, andif you would be so kind toleave me a review before you go...

_Millefiore_

_BTW-_ Not to worry _**Starian Princess**_, I gladly accept your cookies! XD Cookies for everyone! LOL


	5. Chapter Four: Pt 2

**Try**

_Chapter Four_

Collide

Pt.2

* * *

Being squeezed together in a tight corner was never more uncomfortable than it was now; the disagreeable individual sitting across from her conveniently reminding her of that, his trademark scowl set firmly in place, arms folded over his chest, looking like he'd rather pour lemon juice in his eye or deal with a nasty hangnail than to bask one evening in her company.

Or perhaps it was the less than accommodating space his towering 6-foot frame was forced to fit into; occasionally his legs would knock into hers, and whenever this would happen, he'd make a grunt of disapproval and look away, while she would feel her heart speed up in overwhelmed excitement.

His touch was…electric.

"You can take off your coat, you know."

This was her attempt to keep things casual…or as casual as humanly possible between both parties.

She had already eased out of her own jacket, revealing a shoulder-baring, white chiffon top that hugged her every curve.

"We're not going to stay long; no point in getting comfortable…"

He readjusted his position on the faux-leather upholstered chair, once again brushing his legs against hers—it was such a rarity to see someone like Seto Kaiba backed into a wall. _Powerless_. Completely so.

Much like she was when he kissed her for the very first time.

An unbidden array of images quickly came to mind, all of them arranged in a confusing order, like they were fragmented—the beautiful smile, not smirk, that spread across his face when she regained enough sense to slap him; the moment he loosened his hold of her wrists, letting her arms droop helplessly about his shoulders; the bruising pressure of his lips pressing against hers—she knew that there had to some kind of meaning behind all this mystery.

She certainly had her work cut out for her…six months had done nothing to break apart the enigma he had pieced together.

The stubborn line carved into the ridge of his lips morphed slightly into a disdainful one as he regarded the sudden change in her demeanour.

"What's that silly smile for? Do you find something about me particularly amusing?"

He sounded indignant.

"N-no, not at all, Kaiba." She averted her gaze to the frosted café window, trying to shake off the awkward feeling of being pinned under his watchful, scrutinizing glare for who knows how long. "I…I just want to know the truth."

There was a careful pause as he assimilated each of her words, along with the abashed expression in which she said them. She continued her perusal of the window, as if there were something fascinating about a frost woven sheet of glass.

"How about we just forget about this letter fiasco-- it doesn't matter who wrote who, as long as we settle what needs to be settled, right? You probably have important things pending, and I have my friends waiting for me—,"

"Let me guess," the familiar cold snarl of his voice introducing itself once more, "_Yugi's_ waiting up for you or something?"

"It's not like that, Kaiba." Their eyes met at the same time, each hesitant to concede defeat. "I don't know where you get the nerve to say something like that! Yugi's my best friend and I put my plans on hold just to—,"

"I just want to end this night quickly as possible without someone having to throw around Yugi's goddamn name everywhere. He's not _deserving_ of that kind of attention."

At that precise moment, their waiter returned with a steaming cup of black coffee and upon noticing the heavy tension that was spread thickly in the air, he happily went to wait on the next customer.

"You were the one who brought him up in the first place." She hissed, angry that he couldn't let go of such a petty rivalry. "And for your information, winning a crummy championship title isn't the be all and end all of existence. Even yours."

He took a long draught of his coffee, seemingly unaffected by her words.

With a gentleness that startled her, he set his cup down on the table.

"My whole life has been about winning, and the stakes have always been high…someone like _you _wouldn't understand that. Don't even bother trying to."

Téa didn't know whether to be deeply annoyed or infuriated at the smugness in his tone, she knew that making a scene and slinging insults of her own would be the easiest course to take to get nowhere, and if she didn't take initiative now, they'd soon arrive at their destination.

As much as he would disagree with her over it, she had a life to get back to.

And hopefully gingerbread cookies would constitute that in the near future.

"Fine, I won't. You're right, I wouldn't understand."

The lights suddenly dimmed to a softer glow, mimicking an atmosphere that was decidedly romantic; she could feel her stomach doing cartwheels at the thought that this night could be…

"What the hell is going on?" he muttered darkly, rising out of his chair to get a better look at what was happening.

"Ladies and Gentleman, this evening you are witnesses to a very special treat. Domino's own Aiko Okumura, one of jazz's finest musicians, will dazzle us right here, at Lucky Seven Café with a sparkling rendition of '_Tea for Two_'…"

The amiable voice cut off, which the pretty brunette assumed to be a technical difficulty when suddenly the air was suffused with the smoky vocals and shaky sound of piano keys falling in beautiful succession.

Seto sank back half-heartedly in his chair.

"This is great, open mike night."

Again with the knees…

She moved her chair back a little. "God forbid you let yourself, or anyone else enjoy themselves…"

"It means nothing."

"Pardon?"

"Must I elucidate this for you, Gardner? _This isn't a date_. We aren't here _together_. The very idea that there could be anything between us is nothing short of laughable. So, don't go entertaining serious delusions that some stupid kiss means something; it's all in the past, and it should remain buried."

"Yugi was right about one thing, Kaiba. You're a…a… coward!"

The sound of her chair scraping against the floor was akin to the sound of nails sliding down a blackboard—even the music died—where everyone present in the room turned to look in the direction of where they sat.

"Don't talk to me, or think of writing to me ever again!"

Grabbing her coat off her chair and jostling a few others along the way, she stalked in the direction of the door, indifferent to the stares that trailed after her.

….

Tears streaming, chest burning, it was as if internally she was going through some kind of atrophy; and she didn't understand why. The possibility of rejection was ever looming in his austere presence, she knew that, but it was different now that it was over.

It wasn't like he had spoken the vilest words a human being could utter to another, but it came in a close second.

Had she ignored his stupid letter in the first place, she could've saved herself from this disaster…

* * *

_**n.b.** I've returned, and I believe with a renewed spark of creativity...I hope. _

_I think I've kept you waiting inthe darklong enough, and I hope that reading the last half of this chapter was worth that wait. It was for me. nn_

_More Yugi, more Téa, and more Seto and maybe some Mokuba-goodnessawait in the next chapter, and you won't believe what will happen next..._

_So keep your eyes open for Chapter 5; there's no turning back after that._

_And one more thing: Aiko Okumura is a real singer, pretty good one at that...so, if you're curious about the song, take a listen to it. It's nice and mellow. And I own nothing of it... lol ;_

_Gingerbread cookies for all of you who've reviewed:_

_**LuvinAnimanga**,**KeikoGurl, Starian Princess,** Rica, _**_Desert's Dream, IluvsBakura, Waffles, Ryoko Blue _and _Hedwig-the-MilleniumOwl_**

Thanks so much for your support!

_Millefiore_

_Review!_


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